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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for September 25, 2009
“Sipping From the Chalice of Humility”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
It was snowing in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
It was Friday night, and I just wanted to get home.
I pulled off the busy road into a filling station, took off the gas cap, laid it on the trunk, and started pumping.
It was one of those icy snows that really yucks up your windshield, so I grabbed the squeegee and went to work. It was cold and the wind was biting. My hands were freezing. I couldn’t wait to get back in the car, but I wanted to make sure the windshield was as clean as possible.
The pump stopped when the tank was full, so I quickly replaced the nozzle and went back to the windshield. Finally I hopped in the car, cranked up the heat and pulled out.
Now there are two things about me you need to know. First of all, I am very audio oriented, which is probably why I am in radio. I am very much tuned into the sound of things.
So I pulled out from the gas station and I heard a little noise. It was very faint, but it sent my mind on a mission. What was that sound?
Now here is the second thing you need to know about me. I tend to be very organized about certain things. My wife calls it borderline OCD. I just call it being organized. For example, when I come home, I put my keys in the same place every day. I put my phone on the charger every night. In fact, I put it on the charger the exact same way every night.
I’m very methodical about these things, and it saves me a lot of trouble. For example, I never have to go around asking, “Have you seen my keys?”
Now what do you think happens when I see someone else frantically searching for their keys? Somewhere, deep down in the chasms of my soul, a tiny little voice whispers, “I’m better.”
So anyway, in some things I guess I am borderline OCD. And I guess that would include how I pump gas. I pump gas the same way every time, but that day in Cape Girardeau I got out of my rhythm. The snow messed me up, and I missed a step.
So you can probably guess what that little noise was as I pulled out of the gas station. It was my gas cap hitting the pavement!
Well I quickly pulled over, got out, looked back and sure enough, there it was, lying on the road. Thank goodness. I started to run back to pick it up when all of a sudden here came this big jacked up truck with monster tires.
All I could do was watch.
And listen.
Crunch!
My gas cap was obliterated by a big Missouri pickup.
I kicked myself because I’m not that kind of person. I always put the gas cap back on. These things happen to other people, not me. I am organized!
And once again I found myself sipping from the chalice of humility.
I can’t even count how many times this has happened in my life. I take a subtle pride in something, somehow thinking I’m just a little better, and here it comes. The big hand of life hands me the chalice and says, “Drink.”
The chalice of humility – we all have to drink from it, and it makes us better people. It’s just not pleasant.
When it happens, it’s just you and the cup. The rest of life fades into the background. It’s just you and this moment. You on your knees, looking deep into the cup and realizing, “I’m not better.”
Fortunately, these moments are actually good for us.
Proverbs 11:2 says, “…with humility comes wisdom.”
I have been humbled many times in my life, and I count it a blessing. It’s like a spoonful of nasty-tasting medicine. It’s hard to swallow, but it makes you better.
So when the humbling moment comes, don’t fight it. Don’t try to hold on to your lofty position. It just makes you look silly.
Instead, just take a knee. Bow to it. And learn.
Yes, it tastes bitter, but remember: great wisdom comes as we sip from the chalice of humility.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2009 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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